As it turns out bourbon is good for more than just drinking.
Recently, chemists at the University of Kentucky have discovered how to transform bourbon distillery waste into high-performance components for supercapacitors.
Supercapacitors are often used in situations that demand a rapid power source and high reliability. They’re similar to batteries in the sense that they are energy-storing devices. But unlike batteries, which rely on electrochemical processes, supercapacitors store energy electrostatically by accumulating charge on the surface of electrodes, which allows for rapid charging and discharging and a longer lifespan. However, due to a lower energy density compared with batteries, supercapacitors store less energy overall.
In the last few years, automotive companies have increasingly adopted supercapacitors, particularly in electric and hybrid vehicles manufacturing, to power start-stop systems, regenerative braking, and power stabilization—helping with overall vehicle performance and longevity.
To supplement this uptick, scientists have been working to find innovative (and ideally cheaper) ways to create these supercapacitors.
Now, a recent development by a chemistry professor and graduate student at University of Kentucky, has found a way to do so using bourbon byproducts.
Josiel Barrios Cossio, a graduate student at the University of Kentucky, was shocked to learn that “for every bottle of bourbon produced, there’s up to 10 barrels of waste, in the form of stillage,” according to an article by the University of Kentucky.
